Try This At Home: The Squishy Squisherator of Doom

Thus named is the grown-up mango-ade cocktail that Jonas and I created, because we couldn't come up with a more fitting name that was satisfactorily clever ("Squishy" is what we call Ishmael, but no babies were intoxicated in the making of this drink). It's very light and summery and fruity and not alcohol-burny; all my favorite things in a cocktail. // It irks me when recipe posts are full of personal blah-blah, so I'll just leave you with this song about a naming a cocktail, and an archive of cocktails inspired by and named after historical events.



Grown-Up Mango-Ade ("The Squishy Squisherator of Doom")

Ingredients:

• 1 batch of Joy's Southern Style Mango Lemonade
• Mango flavored Malibu Rum
• Fresh mint leaves
• Ice

Directions:

1. Fill each glass about 2/3 full of mango lemonade. 
2. Add one shot of mango-flavored rum per glass.
3. "Wake up" a sprig of mint by slapping it against your palm, then drop into your drink.
4. Stir.
5. Finish off with a few ice cubes. 
6. Enjoy. 

A Case of the Feasties

So, I'm not a party person. And rarely do I follow through on my host of grandiose ideas. However, something I am really excited about for my coming marriage to the handsome and food-appreciating Mr. Jonas is the chance to make mini banquettes whenever we want! Walking through the grocery store today, I wanted to buy Cornish game hens, octopus tentacles, cloves, kabob skewers... All things I'm sure we'll need (read: determined to find a use for), yet have no where to put at the moment (checking out a studio on Monday). Good food is important to both of us, and I also want holidays to be special in our new family. Both of our families tend to have fairly traditional holiday meals, although this year I've heard rumors of pulled turkey tacos with cranberry salsa at my house and a duck at my almost-in-laws, huzzah! Maybe I still won't be in charge of menu planning next year, but if I were, I present to you, my fantasy Thanksgiving spread for two: 
1. Minty Apricot in White Wine Starter
2. Hearts of Palm & Avacado Salad
3. Creamy Cider Apple Chicken Pasta with Mushroom Sauce and Butter Apples
4. Pavlova with Nutmeg Cream and Cranberry Compote

The Casserole from Hell

Hi, my name is Karissa and I burn milk. 
That's right, I have joined the elite few who have actually done that. 
This baked mac n cheese had better be delicious because it took me 3 hours to make and I made enough to fill two family sized baking dishes. Never again!
I can hear it sizzling over the sides in the oven now.
And oh good, I burnt the top. 


On the other hand, I took part in roasting brussel sprouts in class last Thursday and they
were delicious. Who knew?
I also saw fresh lemon grass at the grocery store today. Smile. 


Today being human feels like an ordeal. 
That's really all I have to say right now. 

Friday the 13th...

...was a wonderful day, despite that my car failed it's smog check. // Thanks to my new followers! You guys are the bomb. And also all you who simply become a dot on the map. Don't know you by name, but I sure appreciate your visits. // Hm... well, I'm sure I've made more than 2 meals since the last time I did a recipe of the week post, but I positively can't recall one of them. One week I made chicken toquitos which were not that great and this week I made a very nice chicken salad wrapped in lettuce - the first recipe I've repeated since I really started cooking. Anyway, this is just about the end of the road for recipes of the week (not my favorite feature here, I must admit) because school starts in a week and I shall have less time to cook and blog. Sad. I have loved this summer and I do not love autumn (except for Pumpkin Spice Lattes). Dread. // [7/15/12 I removed the rest of this post because I'm worried that people's personal photos will be used on Pinterest and I didn't have permission to post them!]

Recipe of the Week 071610 & 072310

Well, I've decided to pair down the food posts since even I am bored by all those details (not to mention the ridiculous name). Instead of the depth I was going in to before, I'll just post links to the things I made and pick my favorite one to share a few things about. Maybe a tiny amount of other notes too, not very many, I promise. Here goes:

071610 - Mango Lemonade (a bit too much sugar - labor intensive), Caesar Salad with Grilled Lemon Pepper Shrimp & Pepper Jack Zucchini Muffins (total fail - do not make). The salad was the best of the week - the chinese exchange student took seconds of shrimp and my mom wants a hard copy of the Caesar dressing.
072310 - Edamame Beans (my own recipe: simply dump a few bags, with or without their pods, of beans from Trader Joe's into a pan with butter, soy sauce and garlic in whichever ratios you prefer) & Thai Red Curry (the recipe was on the curry jar). I would have to say the beans won - they never fail to please. I accidentally made the curry extremely spicy!
I also made 45+ jars of jam with Mrs. Tucker. Loads of work, but great to know how to do. Here is a picture I took of the strawberry-blueberry jars.

And last but not least, my top 3 ways to spice up vanilla ice cream this summer:
1. Stir in chunks of freshly made chocolate chip cookie dough.
2. Add a dallop of some of that summer berry jam I know you have stashed away. 
3. (my fave!) Pour some Hansen's soda (preferably Raspberry) over it for the best kind of float!

Not Very Fridgetastic Friday[s] 070210 & 070910

070210

Theme: N/A (I did want to make sure to balance something rich with something more tangy)
Menue: Creamy Creole Crab Pots & Sweet and Spicy Tuna Wonton Cups
Cost: <$20
Served: 6
Prep time: ~3 hours
Pros: Kind of classy looking/sounding. Satisfying to see the wonton skins pop out of the pan perfectly shaped.  Left over crab casserole is very good over rice.
Cons: Quite expensive/labor intensive to use real crab (I didn't...) & too rich as a main dish.  Phyllo dough can be hard to find in a small town. The tuna in the salad was just about unnoticeable.
Mistakes: Pretty much only that it was hard to eat a lot of!
Changes: I used imitation crab and catfish instead of fresh crab. I don't have individual tiny baking pots, so I made it as a casserole. I made a pie crust (minus the sugar) instead of using phyllo because I couldn't find it (turns out it is sold at one place here in SM - probably the only one I didn't check). I pretty much always double everything for my family. I didn't have the special tuna the salad called for, so I just took regular canned tuna and added honey and pepper sauce.
Reviews: Jonas really liked the wonton cups (I thought maybe a bit too much dressing?). As I've already said, it was a bit too heavy, but my family liked it. :)
Rating: 4 out of 5 - Repeat with menue planning in mind...


070910

Theme: Indian
Menue: Dopiaza Indian Onion Curry, Samosa w/ Cilantro Dip & Cucumbers in Yogurt and Dill (The 2nd and 3rd are my mom's recipes). Chipate (or substitutes) & White Rice as well.
Cost: $19.50
Served: 9
Prep time: ~4 hours w/ lots of help
Pros: If there are kids who want to help make dinner, the Samosa are fun to make in a group. Baby onions are so cute.
Cons: A very labor intensive meal. Pealing tons of onions had everyone sniffling and making Samosa from scratch takes quite a while. The curry was too sweet.
Mistakes: I did not have nearly enough onions, but I stupidly added water as if I did, so I ended up with more of a soup than a curry.
Changes: I added a package of ground beef to the curry since I knew I didn't have enough onions. I generally leave any sort of red pepper ingredients out because they upset my stomach (most unfortunate). Thankfully, my mom started some rice cooking which was a popular option that I had not planned for. I couldn't find the instructions for "giger-garlic paste" so I just added ginger and garlic.
Reviews: Everyone politely enjoyed it, but I was very disheartened about my curry.
Rating: 2 of 5 (all the good part of the rating goes to the Samosa and cucumber w/ dill) - curry rejected. 

Fridgetastic Friday[s] 061810 & 062510

Sooo, I was reading this thing about "how to make your blog better" and one of the recommendations was to post on a consistent schedule on consistent topics. Most of me wants to tell that writer "go eat your head", but since I actually have something I could blog about consistently, at least for the summer, I will try. Although this wasn't on the list, it is obvious that in order to gather readers, you need ridiculously foolish titles for your periodicals as well, so I have succumbed. Here begins the account of my culinary escapades every Friday evening. My goal is to feed 5 to 8 people on $20 or less (plus whatever is already in the fridge/pantry). It should be fairly obvious which photos are from the recipe links below and which are mine. 


061810

Theme: Summer-ish Thai-inspired.
Menue: Thai Chicken Pizza & Coconut Shrimp Soup. 
Cost: $13.86
Served: 8
Prep time: 3 hours
Pros: Trader Joe wontons pre-made and delicious!
Cons: Pizza recipe is unclear about when to put on which toppings (before or after baking) -
I baked the cucumber, which I was worried about, but it was fine. Making the pizza dough somewhat labor
intensive and you have to allow time for it to rise (I started it first thing so it could rise while I cooked the rest of the meal)..
Mistakes: I used the water from boiling the chicken (for the pizza) as a broth base for the
soup, thinking it would be like chicken broth, but it was not flavored enough. Even when I
added chicken flavor, I still had a weak broth, and far too much of it.
Changes: I added coconut, glass noodles, cilantro, lemon grass powder (and some other fitting
spices which I don't recall), chicken bouillon & Trader Joe's shrimp wantons to the soup. I
did not add shrimp or spagetti, so it was pretty much not the same soup at all. I didn't
add the hoison sauce to the pizza either (which was a big part of the recipe!) - I didn't use
any sauce.
Reviews: The soup was a favorite & Jonas told me at least 3+ times (seperate occasions,
including a call) that it was delicious. :D I personally liked the pizza best. 
Rating: 4 out of 5 - repeat with some adjustments. 


062510

Theme: Summer-ish Italian-ish.
Menue: Linguine with Shrimp and Cilantro-Lime Pesto, Atayef with Blueberry Sauce and Cream Cheese & a Chilled Baby Watermelon.
Cost: $16.26
Served: 5 1/2 (Jonas had already eaten dinner once)
Prep time: ~3 hours (could have been less had I multitasked more)
Pros: Pesto & shrimp were very easy and fast.
Cons: Pesto was too tart & it's very hard to make proper pancakes.

Mistakes: I got raspberry on my white Elvis shirt, put the raspberry sauce on long before serving (allows for sogging), and used expensive fresh raspberries when I could have used frozen ones. 

Changes:I doubled the pesto/shrimp recipe and added walnuts, basil, parmesan while excluding tequila, red pepper and jalepano. I served the shrimp, pesto and pasta seperately so everyone could add what they wanted in the amounts they wanted, and served extra parmesan and cilantro on the side as well. I cooked the shrimp in nothing but a dash of olive oil (SO good) and put a little bit of olive oil on the noodles to keep them from sticking after drained. I used egg noodles (cook quickly but DO NOT work with the ready-when-stick-to-wall trick) rather than linguine. I used raspberries instead of blueberries for the pancake sauce and added a LOT more milk to the batter to obtain a consistency I preferred. 

Reviews: Jon loved it and went on and on with the compliments :D - he preferred it to last week's. In general, the pesto was too strong. The watermelon was good. ;) Personally, I thought the cream cheese was too strong as well. 

Rating: 3 out of 5 - some loved it, some not so much. 

Let Them Eat Cake

Here's a little thing I like to call "Orange-Pineapple-Pecan-Summer-Dream-Cloud-Cake." The recipe is originally by Dee Dee Davidson from the EVFree Church in Canejo Valley 2003 cookbook. This is my all time favorite cake, I do believe. It's very moist with a great crunch and fluffy frosting - not a very conventional cake, so even if you don't generally like cake, you should give this one a chance. It wins 1st prize at bake sales every time!
Serves 8. Pre-heat oven to 325.  Bake time: ~30 min. 

Cake Ingredients:
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 C. chopped walnuts of pecans
1/2 C. oil
1 11-oz. can mandarin oranges
Frosting Ingredients:
1 20-oz. can pineapple slices with juice
1 3-oz. pkg. instant vanilla pudding 
1 12-oz. tub Cool Whip, thawed
Cake Instructions:
Spray 2 9" pans with Pam. Prepare cake using oil, eggs & juice drained from oranges. Mix together until smooth.  Fold in chopped nuts and oranges, pour into pans.  Bake in pre-heated 325 oven for 30 min., or until toothpick comes out dry.  Cool in pans 10 min. Remove from pans, cool completely. Frost. Keep refrigerated. 
Frosting Instructions:
In bowl, stir together pineapple juice, (reserve pineapple for garnish), package of pudding and fold in Cool Whip. 

Viola! [Hopefully this will soon be on foodgawker.com! I'm excited - my first ever submission!]

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I'll give you pictures first this time so that I don't scare you away with my monologues. ;)
An editorial I love, photographed by Michael Thompson. Especially the studded jacket & striped blouse, yes?



{written about 5 days ago - I have been to busy to finish it up & post} I realized that a few posts back I thanked "Erin of Erin Ever After" for following this blog, but really, it was Annie from Marry You Me. My apologies! Annie makes incredible mood boards. You should have a peek. :) // My family decided to spend Christmas in San Francisco! !! More on that later, I'm sure. // My hair has started to grow out. It looks like a pumpkin pie that was left in the over a little too long, or chocolate dipped orange peel. I'm loving the two-tone. // Speaking of holiday candies, check out these incredible gingerbread houses. These ones are also jaw dropping. // I'm really hoping I get a call back from Avenue this week so that maybe I can work there over the holidays. Otherwise, I'll probably try and go back to Hardy for the break. // I just took a shower, drank a tall glass of water and ate a crisp green apple. Lasagna from scratch for dinner. Good things. Haha, I learned yesterday that Jonas doesn't like enchiladas which is what I have for my birthday most of the time (white sauce). :j I'm pondering what to make for the opening of the art show that my altered book is going to be in on Wednesday & thinking of a cold Chinese noodle dish that I've been wanting to make... my December calender is already filled on almost every day and it's not even December yet. Not all with food, don't worry. // I've got to get back to writing up an interview I had with a fascinating elderly man from my art class - philosophy project (thank goodness that class is almost over!). I'm hoping to make it into a story later. We'll see what time & inspiration allow me.
{link to blog}

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My 3 top dream places to live: 1. Hong Kong 2. San Francisco 3. Stockholm.



:) Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! What are you thankful for these days? I am thankful for a cheap school to attend where I have had some excellent teachers and the chance to improve my writing and art. I am thankful for my family which understands me well and loves me still (also, they are very cool!). I am thankful for good food and a warm bed and a car to drive, none of which I have to pay for. I am thankful for my best friend, Jonas, who can always make me smile and loves me no matter what. I am thankful for my camera and my computer. I am thankful for the past, present and future. I am thankful for a good Bible study group and the hope of a renewed Church. I am thankful for the jobs I've had & where I live, and I am thankful that you are reading this. :) Have a good one, and remember to give thanks. // I think I will be making the Welch family pineapple salad with yogurt and almonds and coconut, but maybe another year, I'll tackle these gems from Foodgawker (lots of good left-over turkey ideas - you should check it out. Turkey-cranberry-basil meatballs? I vote yes!) {Vertical Pear Salad, Brand Snaps}

[link to blog]

082409

If you go a few months back in posts, you will see that I was getting carried away with my wedding posts. I was blogging everything wedding. Now it's food. Bare with me! I guess this blog is just one of shifting obsessions. ^^ It's so funny to me because I used to be so anti-cooking. Right now my mom is baking beef chops (?) that she soaked in curry and then grilled for a bit...mmm-m! I ran out of House and IT Crowd episodes to watch late at night, so I've started on NBC's "the Chopping Block" which is one of those ridiculous cooking shows where the host pretty much takes joy in harassing the participants into tears and profanities. Excellent.
As I was looking through foodgawker...again.., I saw this photo which reminded me of a Chinese dish that we called "the hay stack." It's very thin, fried potatoes (thinner than pictured) which are almost airy. They stack them almost a foot (in my memory) high on the plate.

While on kitchen things, check out this retro kitchen stove from Elmira Stove Works. They make fridges too and the sets come in more groovy colors. How fun?!

Thanks for everyone's encouragement for this blog via facebook and such. It makes me so happy to know I have faithful and excited readers, or readers at all for that matter. You guys brighten my day! /// I love the first day of school and not being the new kid or the youngest kid! I love seeing people hollering at each other from across lots. Our class rooms are freshly painted and I GOT A JOB! I think... more on that later. Haha. Tutoring english. :) I love school. I love school! /// I've only really been to one class so far; English 103 (Critical Thinking) with Mrs. Farley, my English 101 teacher from last semester. She can be so ruthless, but she challenges me and that's invaluable. Now that I know I will survive her, I can just smile at her li-hai-ness too. ^^ Woopie! The guy sitting behind me, Corrie, doesn't like Ayn Rand or Nietzsche. I smell war. *sly grin.
Pretty much all my friends from high school are now in college somewhere or other. Some are nearly out! It's fun to see everyone's dorm pics and share their excitement. Lalalalalala, being young is so great! Never stop learning, guys. :D /// My last night in *legal* kid-dom! :O
FB readers - view enhanced post.

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I know this is SUPER nerdy, but sometimes I wish I could bookmark a webpage more than once because I love it THAT MUCH! Today's find, thanks to Wired... foodgawker.com. It was love at first sight and I dared not hope that there were recipes attached to the pictures, but... there are. I'm trying to sit very still and quietly so I don't explode with excitement. Excellent photos make it that much more irresistible to me. It seems to be frequently updated with 700+ pages of photos already - I am in danger of becoming obsessed with keeping up with it. Here are just a few of the finger lickin' goodies I have my eye on (how is that for a mooshy sentence?). 1) Marsala Burgers 2) Sweet and Spicy Cucumbers from Korea (I can feel the burn in my stomach already) 3) Almond Parmesan Orzo 4) Apple and Blueberry Galette (I've had something similar made by a real french chef. To die for!). Happy obsessing!




I know I mentioned this once already, but Imogen Heaps long awaited new album comes out on my 18th birthday (25th). SO excited. Sounds like it's all on her myspace already. Go indulge your ears. Only half listening, my faves so far are "Tidal" and "Between Sheets." /// School starts the day after tomorrow. My textbooks made a $400+ dent in my mum's account and I have almost finished moving all my music from my old computer to my new one so that I can stealthily listen to tunes if during boring lectures... jkjk. But I'm excited to have a computer for classes. Not only will I look like a snob, I will be a target for crime as well. Seriously though, I'm really excited for school. I'm taking 5 classes and hopefully will land a tutoring job (for English) as well that will keep me with at least a minimal income. /// Also, can I just say that I love my boyfriend to death? He is stellar. Thanks for being a champ, Jonas. You are my fave.

[This picture is from a cute, cute wedding featured on Chennergy - LOVE that teeth brushing shot. As far as photos go, I'm tempted to say that sweet hugs are one of my all time favorites. Well, in real life too. ^^ And that's the truth.)
FB readers - view enhanced post.

081309

Loads of stuff to share today! :D Day 2 of not being bored without a job. Lovin' it.
Oh, I am sick with want. I think I have to have these. :S If you click on the "complete palette" tab, you can select a section of colors and it will tell you what each color is named! I can't stand it it's so decadent in every way! It costs about $260 to get the whole Aroura set - I hope it's still around when I get married because I will TOTALLY ask for it. Yata! (Thanks TrendLand for awakening yet another insatiable desire in me -.- ). ;)


Speaking of being married, two more lovely things. First, my dad's assitant at work, Malorie, got married 2 weekends ago and the wedding photos are breathtaking. I think a good photographer is definitely worth sinking money into. A Blake did an excellent job.

Secondly, small pleasures from Pier 1. Each dish is only $2! I bought these as a wedding gift for Sky and Gina Tucker (my boyfriend's brother and his new lady). I was very proud of myself for finding these. They have so much potential too... dessert or sauce plates, soap dishes, jewelry holders, where-should-I-put-all-these-safety pins-and-paper clips-holder; the possibilities are endless. Pier 1 also has some really fun (and pretty cheap!) place mats and dining chair cushions that you should check out if you happen to be near a store any time soon.

Another gem from the blogging world - last night's dinner, thanks to Sunday Suppers. By the time my mom and I were done making it, it was pretty much a different recipe, but it was still yummy! I'm eatting leftovers now and the garlic is quite strong, as is the Parmesan and bacon, so go easy on those if you try it yourself. We substituted wine with chicken brother (I know, I know, totally changes it, but I really can't stand the flavor of any alcohol), fresh garlic (couldn't find any) with regular garlic (half the amount called for) and onion chives and asparagus (not in season) with zucchini (which the instructions actually seem to call for). We also used regular spagetti noodles (very good with that salt water tip, if I may say so myself). For dessert, left over German Chocolate cake. It's not as good as the last time I made it (Annelise makes the topping). I think it's best if you bake it about 5 minutes fewer than it calls for because it's so nice and moist that way.

Look! My brothers painted our house yellow. :D The door still needs to be painted white, but it looks pretty different to us already because it was grey before.

Also from around the house - eggplant in Julia's garden, and new blooms on my orchid! Not the best of shots, but I'm sure there will be ore when the other two shoots (from the same stem!!) bloom. My mom accidentally trimmed it too much last year so it hasn't bloomed since my birthday last year. I'm so happy it's still alive and I hope that my Valentine's tulip blooms again too when I take it out of the fridge and replant it on the 28th. ^^

In our back yard, there are 5 dragonflies that have been hanging out on the jump rope for several days now. Reminds me of this priceless (haha, sorry, sorry...) oragami moth that Kelee (I think!) folded for me for graduation/18. Cool, huh? I love oragami.

Yesterday, I got Jonas to play Mancala with me again (the first time we played I got all but one pebble... hehehe), which was probably a bad idea because by round 2 he'd caught on to my strategy and by round 4 came out one pebble ahead. There goes the only game I can (I mean could) beat him at. ^___^ Ok, I'm off to Santa Barbara to go shopping with my sister and spend all the money I just made. Heh! :P) (haha, I just made that face up - it's "tongue in cheek"... get it?)
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080109

Ooo, my mouth hurts so bad. I have so many sores and cuts from stress/braces. Not my fave. :( // I made dinner today. I made chicken salad with jalapeno and lime and almonds and good things like that while listening to Indian music. It was delicious and my family loved it. You can try the recipe too, if you like. :D // Our house is in the process of being painted yellow. // Tomorrow I am going to wear my new summer yellow dress out for the first time. ^___^ // Check out this stash of classy photos. I got them all off the same flickr account called myvintagevogue. I sometimes wish everyone dressed up like this still. This top one, a 1960's ad for Nina Ricci might be my all time favorite. So elegant and simple.

Miss Vivien Leigh.

Beatrice Wagstaff in '53. Look how young she is!

Simone D'alliencourt, '59. I think I'd like to name a daughter Simone.

Miss Yvonne DeCarlo, how do you get your skin to glow so?

This photo was in a 1960 Life magazine. I love the China element.

Thanks heavens for Vogue, keeping alive a love of fine clothes and class.
This is totally non sequitor, but if you ever have a chance to eat a pomelo, you should take it. It's like a giant grape fruit, but not as juicy and not as bitter. I miss eating (I always try to spell that with 2 ts and "forest" with 2 rs. It's like I'm that goose from Charlotte's Web) them for breakfast in China.

Gina & Sky get married a week from today. I'm so excited to go to their wedding. :D Pictures on FB to be sure, if not here as well. // Ok, I'ma gonna go work on my latest painting for a bit. Hope you are all having a restful weekend. // Actually, first... here is a totally awesome picture. I think it might be of the pianist for Sleeping At Last, but I'm not sure. I was just going to say that I'd been enjoying their music a lot and was looking for a picture to illustrate said thought, when I found this picture which is too amazing not to post, regardless of who it is.

Facebook readers - view full post.

I think I'm gonna wait on the wedding post again (*patting myself on the back much?*).  // My school just sent me a notice on Swine Flu and everything they think I should know about it.  Should I be more worried about this than I am? //  I had a dream last night in which I spoke some Chinese! Happy to know it's a big enough part of me still to work into my dreams. // I was looking at Softlips, my favorite chapstick, at Target and they have a new organic flavor, pomegranate.  But get this, one tube of the organic flavors is 20 cents more than 2 tubes of the regular stuff! The economically wise choice is obvious... but I really want the pomegranate. //  At school yesterday, wearing the polka dot skirt I mentioned earlier, a toddler out with the child-care group pointed and said "MINNIE!". It was an occasion for many smiles. // You know how bike tires made for street riding are like practically only 1 cm wide? I saw a cyclist with those today and was wondering at man's ability to balance on two tiny wheels. It's really an incredibly odd discovery, if you think about it. // Here are my 3 latest paintings! :D I am sorry the photo quality is lacking. Explanations are on facebook (the 3rd is the promised self portrait - conceptual, obviously).







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Next semester at AHC, I plan to take a mixed media class and Mr. Hood just sent me this email about the work of Brian Dettmer which we may try and emulate. Check out these amazing creations of his made from books/maps!





Another artist, Will Cotton, makes gingerbread houses on steroids.  How incredibly fun are these?!







While on candyland type things, I have to share my most recent favorite sweet.  Generally, I am anything but a chocolate girl, but these French truffles from Trader Joe's are to DIE FOR! The second photo is, admittedly, from a wedding blog (True Event).  I have no idea how to make it, or what is inside, but it looks positively scrumptious, does it not?